How the mastery of energy and space could enable civilization to rise to a higher level, which will be dubbed here as "Kardashevian Aspirations". A higher level of civilization could mean peace, prosperity and freedom for all, but you never know. (Somebody might find a way to screw it up.)

Friday, November 18, 2011

Electric bus charges wirelessly at University of Utah

A new transit route through the heart of the campus will feature a full-size city bus, operated with an electric motor. But it will never need to be plugged in. Instead, it will get its energy wirelessly thanks to a magnetic field emanating from the pavement.

Comment: This technology appears to have advanced greatly over the last several years. With this much progress, it bears watching. The significance of electricity is not only in its cleanliness and quiet operation. Electrical motors are much more efficient than internal combustion engines. Even if the electricity is produced using fossil fuels, economies of scale and the superior efficiency should make the concept economically worthwhile as well.